Why Do User Surveys Lie? The Four Layers of Desire
Ask ten people in 2009 whether they’d spend three hours a day clicking on virtual cows, and ten…
Work with Yu-kai
The Blog
Ideas on motivation, behavior & design.
Deep dives on the psychology behind why people do what they do — from Yu-kai Chou, creator of the Octalysis Framework. Pick the topic that matters to you.
Is Your Gamification Worth the Friction It Adds?
Every gamification layer you add costs your users something nobody measures. We call it efficiency loss: the friction…
Why Do the Best Game Buffs Always Hurt You?
Pick the strongest power in any game you’ve played seriously and I’ll bet you it came with a…
Career Unhappiness Diagnostic: Did YOU Change or the WORK?
If you used to love your work and now you don't, there are only two root causes: YOU…
Which Core Drive Should You Use at Each Difficulty Level?
A few years ago a Norwegian university brought me in with a problem that sounded like a bad…
Why Do Some Motivations Multiply While Others Cancel?
Most people who learn the Octalysis Framework stop at the wrong moment. They memorize the 8 Core Drives,…
Content NPC or Victim NPC: Which Kind of Stuck Are You?
Two people are both stuck in jobs they hate. One of them shrugs, goes home at 5 PM,…
Is Big Tech Really Hijacking Your Brain? The Story That’s Making You More Addicted
Nir Eyal's counter to the dopamine panic: the 'big tech is hijacking your brain' narrative strips you of…
Yu-kai Chou’s Loyalty Connect Global Keynote (US): Why the Loyalty Industry’s Inflection Point Needs Gamification
Yu-kai Chou delivered the gamification keynote at Loyalty Connect Global US 2026 in Atlanta. Most loyalty programs run…